Gavin Whitefield

Many  congratulations to Cathie and Jim  Stevenson  from Airdrie who recently celebrated their  Diamond Wedding Anniversary  .

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Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire Lady Susan Haughey CBE  and  North Lanarkshire Council  Provost Kenneth Duffy joined more than 250 people at Fir Park Stadium on Tuesday 10th March 2026 for the Scottish Iftar at Motherwell FC an evening focused on community and connection.

The event was delivered by The Well Foundation in partnership with The Asian Business Chamber and brought together local business owners and community groups.

Provost Duffy said: “It was great to see so many people from across our communities coming together to share this moment.”

The evening received a warm response from those attending and continues to grow each year, with the Scottish Iftar at Motherwell FC quickly becoming an important annual event that brings people from different backgrounds together.

Well done to everyone involved.

The Lord-Lieutenant of Lanarkshire , Lady Haughey CBE , attended a Chinese New Year celebration on Sunday, 1^st March 2026 at Glasgow City Chambers.  This annual festival is organised by the Chinese Cultural and Welfare Society Scotland and supported by Glasgow City Council and a range of partners and supporters.

The Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire Lady Haughey CBE  is saddened to hear of the death of Gilbert Cox CVO MBE JP , who passed away on Monday 9th March 2026.

Gibby is fondly remembered for his dedication to the role of Lord-Lieutenant of Lanarkshire, which he held for 10 years, retiring on 24^th August 2010 at the age of 75. Gibby served as a Deputy Lieutenant  from 1989 until he was appointed Lord-Lieutenant in 2000.

In 1996, Gibby received an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours for services to the community in Airdrie, and in 2010, he received a rare personal honour from the Queen, Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO), to mark a decade of royal service. The CVO is of such importance that it is not part of the main civil honours list of knighthoods and MBEs but has always been personally bestowed by the monarch since its inception in 1896 to recognise “services to the royal household”.

Gibby played a major role in promoting Lanarkshire throughout his term as Lord-Lieutenant. He spearheaded the fundraising campaign for Summerlee Heritage Park’s landmark refurbishment and helped bring the 2011 International Children’s Games to Lanarkshire. After retiring as Lord-Lieutenant, Gibby became Chairman of the St Andrew’s Hospice Capital Appeal, helping to raise substantial funds for the Hospice’s major refurbishment in 2018.

Gibby was resolutely dedicated to people, local communities, and businesses across Lanarkshire, and he will be sadly missed by everyone who knew him. I’m sure you will join me in extending our condolences to his family and friends, as he will truly be remembered for the many years he served the people of Lanarkshire.

Many congratulations to  Jean Cairns  from Motherwell who celebrated her 100th Birthday on  Thursday 19th February 2026 . And visiting  Jean on her birthday was  Provost  Kenneth Duffy  and  Deputy Lieutenant Mary Hernon  MBE  DL . Continue reading →

The Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire Lady Haughey CBE is delighted to announce the appointment of two new Deputy Lieutenants –

PHILIP GRANT

Philip has comprehensive senior leadership and governance experience arising from a 40 year career with Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group alongside external appointments. His professional journey progressed to senior group executive roles spanning Banking, Consumer Finance and Insurance. As Chair of the Scottish Executive Committee of LBG for 12 years, Philip led and represented the UK’s largest financial services provider with all external stakeholders across Scotland. Beyond his professional roles, Philip served as Chair of the Bank of Scotland Foundation for six years following six years as a Trustee of the partner charity in England and Wales. Alongside acting as Chair of Scottish Financial Enterprise and being a Council Member of CBI Scotland, Philip Co-Chaired the Scottish Government’s Financial Services Growth & Development Board alongside the First Minister. He represented the Financial Services Industry through COVID in Scotland. Philip is a Past President of the Chartered Bankers Institute and holds an MBA from Strathclyde University. Now settling into retirement, Philip lives in South Lanarkshire with his wife Eileen whilst enjoying ,travel, walking ,photography, and restoring classic motorcycles

FIONA McKEE

Fiona is the Founder of The HR Practice, a HR consultancy supporting SME’s and entrepreneurial business with their HR requirements. The HR Practice is the HR Partner to Scottish Edge. Fiona is on the IoD committee for Glasgow & the West and is the IoD Diversity & Inclusion Ambassador. Fiona is an advisor to Scottish Chamber of Commerce Economic Advisory Group and a member of the Steering Group for the Scottish Government for Employment Injury Assistance, Fiona has served as a Trustee of Kilbryde Hospice for over eight years. Fiona is a Chartered member of CIPD and holds a Masters in Human Resource Management.

Lord-Lieutenant Lady Haughey CBE   presented the King’s Award for Voluntary Service to Grow Uddingston  at a special  celebration event which took place at Park Church Uddingston on Sunday 15th February 2026.

Grow Uddingston is a community-led group focused on improving the environment and appearance of Uddingston. Volunteers have transformed key areas such as Uddingston Cross, the Railway Station, and the village gateway, while leading local projects in tree planting, litter picking, and graffiti removal. Their work brings people together and has earned recognition for horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility, and community participation.
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The Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire Lady Haughey CBE is delighted to announce the appointment of a  new Deputy Lieutenant  –

Professor Christopher Moore DL.

Professor Christopher Moore has been Principal and Chief Executive of New College Lanarkshire since November, 2019. Previously, Christopher held Executive and Professorial positions in Universities in Scotland and England. He holds a Professorial appointment at the University of Manchester. Professor Moore comes from a business management background, with a PhD in Marketing and has worked at Boardroom level with leading brands including Marks and Spencer.  Having lived in Lanarkshire most of his life, Professor Moore is passionate about removing barriers to education and advancing life, economic, cultural and social opportunities within the region.  He is a Director of Routes to Work and a member of the Coatbridge Neighbourhood Board. He is also a Director of the Scottish Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency and was until recently, a Board member of SmartWorks Scotland. In his current role, Professor Moore has established an Undergraduate School within North Lanarkshire and led on the development of New College Lanarkshire’s digital learning campus – The Learning Well. In partnership with Alzheimer’s Scotland, Christopher led the establishment of the Scottish Centre for Brain Health, as well as the creation of the NCL Foundation – which is focused upon reducing the detrimental impact of food poverty among young people in the region.

He has recently been appointed Professor at the University of the West of Scotland .

On behalf of the King’s personal representative in Lanarkshire,  Vice Lord-Lieutenant Gavin Whitefield CBE DL was honoured to attend  the launch of the programme to celebrate the 900th Anniversary of Rutherglen becoming a Royal Burgh .  The highly successful event was held in Rutherglen Town Hall on 29th January 2026 and featured an excellent array of local talent .

Rutherglen 900 offers a unique opportunity to reflect on the remarkable achievements of this special town since it was granted Royal Burgh status by King David I in 1126.

The range and diversity of events taking place throughout the year is fantastic  and a fitting tribute to Rutherglen’s rich heritage and bright future.  There is  no doubt that the legacy of these celebrations will continue to inspire civic pride, cultural enrichment, and community engagement for generations to come.

Thanks are due to Councillor Robert Brown Chair of Rutherglen 900 and all  those involved in the  project for their outstanding work and dedication to bringing this milestone to life. The collaboration between local people, organisations, schools and community groups in planning and promoting the 900th anniversary celebrations has been exceptional.

The Lord Lieutenant Lady Haughey CBE also recently wrote to His Majesty The King advising that it was the 900th Anniversary of the Royal Burgh of Rutherglen and sent him good wishes . In response His Majesty Majesty King Charles sent the following message which was delivered at the Launch Event –

“Please convey my warmest thanks to everyone within the Lanarkshire Lieutenancy for their kind message, sent on the occasion of the 900th Anniversary of Rutherglen being granted Royal Burgh status, which is being marked today.

I send my warmest good wishes to all those who are present for a memorable event and significant year.

CHARLES R”

Details of the planned programme of celebrations during 2026 along with further information on this momentous year for the Royal Burgh are available from the Rutherglen 900 website – www.rutherglen900.com.